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Click to view Gamblin''s profile Rookie
Gamblin'
8 posts since
Jul 9, 2007

Apr 30, 2005 4:13 PM

The Freakin Wind !!!

All you highly experienced riders of the road, explain me the wind ...

Today, I started out riding towards the east into a brisk headwind. I tried to cheat the wind by getting down on the aero bars but the wind was so strong and gusty that my speed wasn't fast enough to stabilize the bike (I don't have a huge experience on the aero bars yet) and there was plenty of traffic NOT to swerve into. It was discouraging to ride so slow but I was looking forward to a super-fast, easy ride back. After 2 hours, I reached the turnaround point.

If I was not in my home area, I would have been sure I was lost and going the wrong direction. The freakin wind was directly in my face; strong and gusty. All the way back home, 2 more hours going west, it was that way.

I'm not complaining; training in a headwind is good, especially for us lucky flat-land folks living near the coast where it is completely hill-less. However, I don't understand; it was only a 4 hour ride and the wind completely reversed itself (and, it seems to do that to me quite often).

I think I have the solution (unless some of you can help). I am going to start riding on the left side of the road all the time because the wind is always against the right lane.

What say you?
Click to view jkenny5150's profile Legend
jkenny5150
248 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
1. May 2, 2005 7:38 AM in response to: Gamblin'
Re: The Freakin Wind !!!
First of all, always ride on the right side with traffic. People who ride into traffic have two names: idiots or roadkill, depending on if they've been hit head on yet.

As for the wind phenomenon, the wind you feel is probably just your speed. Chances are, the wind doesn't completely change directions when you turn around, although you may experience some gusting. If you are riding 20 mph with a 10 mph tailwind, that feels like a 10 mph headwind. You don't notice it, except for at higher speeds. Does that make sense?
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Click to view flyboybates's profile Rookie
flyboybates
1 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
2. May 2, 2005 6:19 PM in response to: Gamblin'
Re: The Freakin Wind !!!
The wind will often switch directions in the 180 degree range near the coast. This is caused by the ground heating differently than the water. This creates high and low pressure areas that cause wind.
I too have ridden for an hour or more into the wind, anticipating a nice coast home only to have the wind switch and blow right into my face for the ride home.
Good luck and ride hard.
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Click to view omabikeryder's profile Pro
omabikeryder
164 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
3. May 5, 2005 8:09 AM in response to: Gamblin'
Re: The Freakin Wind !!!
Try this the next time. Drive to your turnaround point and start from there. If you have a tail wind both directions, you know what the problem is.

The first Bike Ride Across Nebraska I did was like that for the first five days. No matter what direction we were traveling, we had a head wind or a quartering wind. It switched 180 degrees on day. It was blowing strong out of the south, then it got real still. Twenty minutes later, it was blowing strong out of the north.
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